Aldehyde Control in Personal Care Products

ABSTRACT

An odor control layer for personal care products has a composition that has a PEG or PEG copolymer composition applied thereto. The layer can be placed in a personal care product, such as a diaper, training pant, absorbent under pant, adult incontinence product, or feminine hygiene product. Additional odor control layers may include silver nanoparticles and activated carbon compositions. In an alternative form, a single odor control layer includes the PEG composition and the activated carbon and/or silver nanoparticle compositions. A cleansing composition with PEG and possibly active carbon and silver nanoparticles may be combined with the personal care product to form a kit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/781,238 filed on Feb. 28, 2013, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure concerns the alleviation and control of odors inpersonal care products, in particular, odors associated with aldehydes.

Disposable personal care products perform a needed function in today'sbusy society, freeing caregivers and users from the chore of washingreusable products and allowing for the quick and easy disposal of bodywastes. As leakage issues have been reduced because of improved designs,the control of odors has become more important to the consumer. This isa particular concern to users of incontinence products.

Odor is often used by consumers as a signal that a personal care productshould be changed. The detection of the odor depends, however, on theacuity of the sense of smell of the consumer, an acuity that oftendeclines with age. Relying on the odor of the product also means thatthe odor must become offensive before the product is changed, anunacceptable signal.

Many technologies have been evaluated in an attempt to reduce the odorsthat emanate from these products during use. For example, an activatedcarbon ink printed liner for incontinence pads was recently introduced.Many urine odor ranking panel (ORP) studies have shown improvements inodor for the carbon-treated liner. However, complete elimination of odorhas not been achieved with activated carbon except at levels that arenot commercially viable for reasons of cost and/or migration. It isimportant that anything added to a personal care product to reduce odorshould remain in place and not migrate through the product.

There remains a need for a treatment for absorbent articles withimproved odor control.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the disclosure is a composition for the reduction ofaldehydes that includes a PEG or PEG copolymer, wherein the PEG or PEGcopolymer has an n<=20.

In another aspect is a personal care product having a first aldehydeodor control layer with a PEG or a PEG copolymer composition appliedthereto, wherein the PEG or PEG copolymer has an n<=20. The personalcare product includes a liner and an absorbent core. The first aldehydeodor control layer is located between the liner and the absorbent core.

In yet another aspect is a kit. The kit includes a personal care producthaving a liquid-permeable bodyside liner; a liquid-impermeable outercover affixed to the bodyside liner; an absorbent core disposed betweenthe bodyside liner and the outer cover; and an aldehyde odor controllayer including PEG or a PEG copolymer having an n<=20. The personalcare product is a diaper, training pant, absorbent underpants, adultincontinence product, or feminine hygiene product. Included in the kitis a cleaning composition including PEG or a PEG copolymer having ann<=20 and water. The cleaning composition is contained in a waterproofpackage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present disclosureand the manner of attaining them will become more apparent, and thedisclosure itself will be better understood by reference to thefollowing description, appended claims and accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a feminine hygiene product.

FIG. 2 is a drawing of an adult incontinence product.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of a cross-section of an adult incontinence product.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of an absorbent underpant.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an example of a substrateincluding the odor elimination feature described herein.

FIG. 6 is a chart illustrating the results of odor testing withdifferent odor eliminating substances.

FIG. 7A-C are charts illustrating the results of odor testing withdifferent odor eliminating substances.

FIG. 8 is one example of a kit according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of a layered structure having separateodor eliminating compositions disposed on each layer.

FIG. 10 is an embodiment of a substrate having different odoreliminating compositions applied thereto in an exemplary pattern.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features orelements of the present disclosure. The drawings are representationaland are not necessarily drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereofmight be exaggerated, while others might be minimized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions

“Nonwoven” and “nonwoven web” refer to materials and webs of materialthat are formed without the aid of a textile weaving or knittingprocess. For example, nonwoven materials, fabrics or webs have beenformed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes,spunbonding processes, air laying processes, coform processes, andbonded carded web processes.

“Coform” refers to a blend of meltblown fibers and absorbent fibers suchas cellulosic fibers that can be formed by air forming a meltblownpolymer material while simultaneously blowing air-suspended fibers intothe stream of meltblown fibers. The meltblown fibers and absorbentfibers are collected on a forming surface, such as provided by a belt.Two U.S. patents describing coform materials are U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,324to Anderson et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,624 to Georger et al., bothof which are incorporated in their entirety in a manner consistentherewith.

“Meltblown” refers to fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplasticmaterial through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillariesas molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity gas (e.g.,air) streams, generally heated, which attenuate the filaments of moltenthermoplastic material to reduce their diameters. Thereafter, themeltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and aredeposited on a collecting surface or support to form a web of randomlydispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, inU.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al. which is incorporated in theirentirety in a manner consistent herewith.

“Spunbonded fibers” refers to small diameter fibers which are formed byextruding molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality offine, usually circular capillaries of a spinneret with the diameter ofthe extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced to fibers as by, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel et al.; U.S. Pat. No.3,692,618 to Dorschner et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki etal.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney; U.S. Pat. No.3,502,763 to Hartman; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al., thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entiretyin a manner consistent herewith.

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent discussion is a description of exemplary aspects of the presentdisclosure only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects ofthe present disclosure.

Aldehydes are the major malodor note associated with urine odor, afterfresh void and a period thereafter. Thus, the control of aldehydes inpersonal care products is of particular interest to adults like thosewho wear incontinence products and the like, and to the care-givers wholook after them. The desire to avoid embarrassment due to unpleasanturine odors is important to adult consumers of these products and theproducts described in the present disclosure help greatly in thisregard.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a urine odorcontrol composition that contains polyethylene glycol (“PEG”) and/orpolyethylene glycol copolymers (collectively referred to as “PEGcomponents”). Desirably, the PEG components have a number of polymerunits less than or equal to 20, n<=20. The composition is applied toselect components of personal care absorbent articles.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a urine odorcontrol composition that contains activated carbon. It is intended thatactivated carbon be used in conjunction with PEG components as describedherein.

Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a urineodor control composition that contains silver nanoparticles. It isintended that silver nanoparticles be used in conjunction with theactivated carbon and PEG components as described herein.

Compositions for Elimination of Aldehyde Odors PEG Composition

In one aspect of the disclosure, a “PEG composition” includes thefollowing ingredients: water, a PEG surfactant, a thickener, apreservative, and an optional fragrance.

The composition is about 60 to about 90%, or about 70% to about 90%, orabout 80 to about 90% water. The water primarily serves as a carrier forthe active ingredient, the PEG surfactant or other ingredients such asactivated carbon and silver nanoparticles. Desirably, the water isdistilled, though tap water may suffice.

The composition contains about 10 to about 40% PEG surfactant. SuitablePEG surfactants include a PEG or PEG copolymer that has a number ofpolymer units of less than or equal to 20 (n<=20), or less than or equalto 10 (n<=10), or less than or equal to 5 (n<=5). Suitable PEG or PEGcopolymers having an n<=20 include: laureth-4, polysorbate 20, myreth-3myristate, octoxynol-9, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, or combinations thereof.

The composition may contain about 0.5 to 10% thickener. The purpose ofthe thickener is to make it easier to apply to a substrate usingprinting methods. Should the substrate be dipped or sprayed with thecomposition, the thickener may not be necessary. Suitable thickenersinclude: Xanthan gum, Carbomer, Acrylates Crosspolymer, and PEG-150Pentaerythrityl tetrastearate.

The composition may contain about 0.2 to 1.5% of a preservative. Thepurpose of the preservative is to keep the composition from spoilingbefore it is applied to a substrate. Suitable preservatives include:Methyl Paraben, Phenoxy Ethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Methylisothiazolinone,and 1,2 Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Activated Carbon (AC) Composition

The AC composition is an ink formulation that basically includesactivated carbon and a binder.

The unique nature of the activated carbon preferably used herein resultsfrom the small size of the particles. In one example, black ink isprepared including activated carbon particles up to 10 microns indiameter, preferably up to 5 microns in diameter, more preferably up to2 microns in diameter, and even more preferably up to 1 micron indiameter. Ink including activated carbon particles can also be coloredink, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,471 to Quincy, Ill.,which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent it does notconflict herewith.

For the inks used in the examples below, the black ink includedactivated carbon particles of approximately 1 micron in diameter,whereas the blue ink included activated carbon particles ofapproximately 5-10 microns to as much as 20 microns in diameter. Thesmaller particle size resulted in an improved odor reduction likelyresulting from the increased available surface area of the smalleractivated carbon particles in the black ink. It is thought that thebinder in the ink forms micro-cracks as it dries, allowing access of theodor to the majority of the activated carbon particles. While a commonbinder would typically block adsorption of odor by a majority of theactivated carbon particles, the ink binder used herein results in anactivity loss of less than ten percent as compared to the activatedcarbon particles themselves.

Improved odor adsorption with the black ink can also result from theamount of activated carbon particles in the ink. For example, the blueink's inclusion of larger activated carbon particles up to 20 microns indiameter or larger resulted in fewer activated carbon particles due tothe need to prevent settling of the particles, which is more of achallenge with larger particles.

The use of activated carbon ink in absorbent articles is described infurther detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,816,285 to MacDonald et al. and inU.S. Pat. No. 7,655,829 to MacDonald et al., each of which isincorporated herein by reference to the extent it does not conflictherewith.

The composition of the present disclosure may include about 1% to about5%, or about 1% to about 2.5%, or about 2.5% activated carbon.

Silver (SILV) Composition

The silver nanoparticle composition is basically made with silvernanoparticles mixed with either water (desirably distilled) or solvent.

The silver nanoparticles are preferably SILVAGARD silver nanoparticlesavailable from AcryMed, Inc. of Beaverton, Oreg. According to AcryMed,Inc., SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles are formed chemically in asolution. The nanoparticles are uniform in size (about 10 nm) andbecause of proprietary technology they do not agglomerate to form largeparticles, but stay in suspension pending application to othermaterials. After the SILVAGARD silver nanoparticle solution is prepared,the substrate is contacted with the solution by immersing, spraying,printing, or by any other suitable application means. The amount ofnanoparticle silver actually deposited is controlled by adjusting thesilver concentration and the temperature of the solution as well as thedwell time in contact with the solution.

Because of their size, the nanoparticles attach to the surface beingtreated while the substrate is in contact with the SILVAGARD silvernanoparticle solution. The attachment is very uniform over the surfaceof the substrate. Once treated, the substrate is removed and dried. TheSILVAGARD silver nanoparticles adhere tenaciously even on elasticsubstrates when they are stretched or flexed.

The solution treatment process can be either aqueous or solvent based,depending on the needs or characteristics of the substrate to betreated. Each nanoparticle would theoretically contain a small number(approximately 5,000) of silver atoms. The outer layer of silver in eachparticle oxidizes upon exposure to air or bodily fluid. This processforms a monolayer of Ag20 (silver oxide) on the outside of thenanoparticle. The silver oxide then slowly dissolves in the body fluidit encounters after the substrate is applied. It dissolves to produceAg+, ionic silver.

It should be noted that the SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles are appliedto the substrate without the use of a binder. Silver components in dryform made into a suspension with a binder and applied to a substrate donot provide the same effect because the surfaces of the silvercomponents can be shielded by the binder. In the present application,the combination of the binder-less application of the SILVAGARD silvernanoparticles along with non-agglomerative nature of the SILVAGARDsilver nanoparticles allows for the maximum surface area available tointeract with odor-causing agents. While the specific mechanisms of thisinteraction can be multiple and complex, it is thought that theodor-eliminating effectiveness of the SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles isdue in large part to the adsorption of odor-causing agents.

The vast number of SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles on the surface of thesubstrate provides a very large reservoir and surface area of silver forcontinuous protection. It is this very large surface area of silver thatgives SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles effectiveness at very lowconcentrations, very low cytotoxicity, and long lasting, sustainedrelease.

The composition may contain about 0.5% to about 3%, or about 0.5% toabout 1.1%, or 1.1% silver nanoparticles.

Application of Composition

Referring now it FIG. 5, a composition 72 (either the PEG composition,the activated carbon composition, or the silver nanoparticle compositionis applied to a suitable substrate, such as a nonwoven substrate 70.Other suitable substrates include spunbond, meltblown, coform, cellulosefluff, cellulose tissue, or polyethylene film.

The nonwoven substrate 70 may be a bonded carded web (BCW), or any othersuitable nonwoven or other substrate described herein. In a particularaspect, the BCW is made with two types of fibers; a 3 denier bicomponentfiber with a polyethylene sheath and a polypropylene core and a 6 denierpolyester fiber, with a ratio of bicomponent fibers to polyester fibersof 3 to 1.

The composition 72 (either the PEG composition or the activated carboncomposition) can be applied to the nonwoven substrate 70 using kiss-rollcoating or other printing techniques, spraying, or the like, followed bydrying. The dried nonwoven substrate 70 then includes composition 72attached to the nonwoven substrate fibers. Desirably, for eachsubstrate, and the PEG component is applied at an add-on level of 0.5 to50%, or more desirably, 1% to 40%; the activated carbon component isadded at an add-on level of 2.5% wt/wt. Application may be continuouscovering the entire surface of the substrate 70, or may partially coversubstrate 70, possibly forming a pattern. The silver nanoparticlecomponent is added at an add-on level of 1.1% wt/wt. Of course, itcovers the entire composite due to application by dipping or spraying.

Personal Care Products

Personal care products having an odor control layer of nonwovensubstrate 70 may be in the form of diapers, training pants, absorbentunderpants, adult incontinence products, and feminine hygiene products.The personal care products may have a bodyside liner, outer cover and/oran absorbent core that includes an odor control layer. Various personalcare products are described below.

Feminine Products

A nonwoven substrate 70 including the odor control feature describedherein can be included in feminine hygiene products as mentioned above.These include, for example, the pad shown partially cut away in FIG. 1.This pad 10 has a liquid impermeable baffle or outer cover 12 on theside away from the wearer. The baffle 12 is often made from a film likea polyethylene or polypropylene film. The layer closest to the wearer isthe liner 14 and is a liquid permeable layer that is preferably soft.Between the baffle 12 and liner 14 there can be a number of layers fordifferent purposes, such as an absorbent core 16 designed to hold themajority of any liquid discharge. Other optional layers include atransfer delay layer or surge layer 17, and tissue or nonwoven wrapsheets (not shown).

Incontinence Products

Disposable absorbent incontinence products are designed to be removedand discarded after a single use. By single use it is meant that thedisposable absorbent incontinence product will be disposed of afterbeing used once instead of being laundered or cleaned for reuse, as istypical of regular cloth underwear. Examples of some commerciallyavailable disposable absorbent incontinence products include diapers,training pants, pads, pantiliners, fitted briefs, belted shields, guardsfor men, protective underwear, and adjustable underwear.

Many of the disposable absorbent incontinence underwear are similar inappearance, size, and shape to regular cloth underwear except that theyare formed from a variety of different materials including absorbent andelastic materials. The absorbent materials allow the disposableabsorbent incontinence underwear to absorb and retain body waste whilethe elastic material permits the disposable absorbent incontinenceunderwear to snugly conform to the anatomy of the wearer's torso.

Much of the disposable absorbent incontinence underwear sold today has aunitary configuration that is similar to regular cloth underwear in thatthe disposable absorbent incontinence underwear is constructed with awaist opening and a pair of leg openings and needs to be pulled onto thebody like normal underwear. Another aspect of unitary disposableabsorbent underwear is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No.2004/0210205 A1 to Van Gompel et al., which is incorporated herein inits entirety by reference thereto to the extent it does not conflictherewith.

Other disposable absorbent incontinence underwear has an openconfiguration. By an open configuration it is meant that the disposableabsorbent incontinence underwear does not have a waist opening and apair of leg openings before it is positioned about the wearer's torso.Typically, disposable absorbent incontinence underwear having an openconfiguration has a relatively flat or convex shape before it is securedaround the torso of the wearer. Commonly, disposable absorbentincontinence underwear having an open configuration has an approximatelyrectangular or hourglass shape. Such products are described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,500,316 to Damico, which is incorporated herein in its entirety byreference thereto to the extent it does not conflict herewith.

An adjustable undergarment, also sometimes referred to as refastenableunderwear, has a unitary configuration and can be positioned onto thewearer's body similar to regular cloth underwear. However, theadjustable undergarment has the ability to be opened and then refastenedinto a closed position during use.

As stated above, disposable absorbent incontinence products aremanufactured in a variety of shapes and configurations. Another type ofincontinence product is a guard for men, which resembles an absorbentpad that can conform to the male genitalia, as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,558,659 to Sherrod et al., which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference thereto to the extent it does not conflictherewith. A belted shield is still another type of a disposableabsorbent incontinence product that has an open configuration and isheld about the wearer's torso by a belt or a pair of straps, asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,595 to Kuen et al. and U.S. Pat. No.4,886,512 to Damico et al., which are incorporated herein in theirentirety by reference thereto to the extent they do not conflictherewith.

Female incontinence consumers can use various incontinence productssimilar to or as a variation of those described above, including pads,pantiliners, fitted briefs, belted shields, protective underwear andadjustable underwear.

Incontinence pads 30 as shown in FIG. 2 likewise have a baffle or outercover 32, an innermost liner 34, and various layers in between,including the absorbent core 36. FIG. 3 illustrates an incontinenceproduct in cross-section where the section is taken across the narrowpart of the product. The liner 34 is at the top, and a surge layer 35 ispositioned below the liner 34. The surge layer 35 acts as a reservoir toaccept large surges of liquid and slowly release them to the subsequentlayers. Below the surge layer 35 is an absorbent core or pledget 36surrounded by tissue wrap 37. The absorbent core 36 can includesuperabsorbent particles that are loose and very small and that canescape onto the body or clothing unless contained. The tissue wrap 37surrounds the absorbent core 36 and keeps the superabsorbent particlesfrom leaving the absorbent core 36. Under the tissue wrapped absorbentcore 36 is a fluff layer 38 and then the baffle 32. Many products alsohave an adhesive strip 39 to help hold the product in place during useby adhering it to the user's underclothes. More information concerningincontinence products can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.6,921,393 to Tears et al., which is incorporated herein in its entiretyby reference thereto to the extent it does not conflict herewith.

The liquid permeable liner 34 is designed to allow body fluid,particularly urine, to quickly pass therethrough and be received by theabsorbent core 36. The bodyside liner 34 is placed in contact with thegenital area of a human body. The bodyside liner 34 is capable ofpassing body fluid, voluntarily or involuntarily expelled from theurethra, downward into the absorbent core 36.

Pads typically have an approximately rectangular, hourglass, orasymmetrical configuration having a thickness of about 2.5 centimeters(cm) or less. Desirably, the thickness of a pad is less than about 1 cm.More desirably, the thickness of a pad is less than about 0.7 cm. A padcan have a length of from between about 15 cm to about 50 cm and a widthof from between about 2 cm to about 15 cm.

A pantiliner is another female incontinence product. By pantiliner it ismeant a thin absorbent product having an approximately rectangular,hourglass or asymmetrical configuration having a thickness of about 1 cmor less. Desirably, the thickness of a pantiliner is less than about 0.9cm. More desirably, the thickness of a pantiliner is less than about 0.5cm. A pantiliner can have a length of from between about 15 cm to about50 cm and a width of from between about 2 cm to about 15 cm.

Absorbent Underpants

Absorbent underpants 50 as shown in FIG. 4 have a baffle 52, a liner 54,and an absorbent core (not shown). Further discussion regardingabsorbent underpants can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.6,240,569 to Van Gompel and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,089 to Van Gompel,which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto tothe extent they do not conflict herewith.

The substrate including the odor elimination feature of the presentdisclosure can be included in any of the personal care productsdescribed above as an additional layer to those described, or in theplace of a layer described herein.

Application of Treated Substrates to Personal Care Articles

Regardless of the particular form of personal care article, in oneaspect the treated substrates are incorporated into a personal carearticle in layers as seen in FIG. 9. Generally, the layer(s) of treatedsubstrates are located underneath the liner L of the article A in astacked configuration (if one layer, it is treated with PEG; if twolayers, they are treated separately with PEG or (activated carbon orsilver nanoparticles); if three layers, they are treated separately withPEG, activated carbon or silver nanoparticles).

Desirably, when three separate treatments are used, each substrate isstacked in the following order, starting with the liner: Liner L, PEGand/or PEG copolymer substrate P, activated carbon substrate C, andsilver nanoparticle substrate S. However, any substrate order isacceptable. In addition, there may be more than one layer of the sametreatment. Desirably, the treated substrate surfaces T only make contactwith untreated substrate surfaces U.

Desirably, the layer(s) of treated substrate are located directly underthe liner L, on top of an optional surge layer G. In another aspect (notshown) the layer(s) of treated substrate are located between the surgelayer G and the absorbent core A. If desired, surge material could beplaced between the PEG and/or PEG copolymer layer P and the activatedcarbon layer C, or between the activated carbon layer C and the silvernanoparticle layer S.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a substrate is treated with bothPEG and activated carbon. Desirably, each chemistry is printed orsprayed onto a substrate surface in a spaced apart manner so that theydo not blend prior to drying. Referring to FIG. 10, the PEG and/or PEGcopolymer and activated carbon compositions may be applied to the sameside of the substrate in a pattern, or opposite sides of the substrate(not shown), either in a pattern or with continuous coverage. Forexample, separate formulations of PEG and/or PEG copolymer, activatedcarbon and silver nanoparticles may be applied to a nonwoven substrate70. The PEG and/or PEG copolymer component 73 may be applied to thenonwoven substrate 70 by contacting the nonwoven substrate 70 with anaqueous liquid formulation containing PEG and/or PEG copolymer followedby air drying. The silver nanoparticle component 72 may be applied tothe nonwoven substrate 70 by contacting the nonwoven substrate 70 with anon-aqueous liquid formulation containing silver nanoparticles andheptane, or with an aqueous silver nanoparticle solution, followed byair drying. The dried nonwoven substrate 70 then includes silvernanoparticles attached to the nonwoven substrate fibers. This silvertreatment is the SILVAGARD silver nanoparticle process described above.The activated carbon component 74 can be applied to the nonwovensubstrate 70 by printing or spraying an activated carbon ink compositionto zones of the nonwoven substrate 70. The nonwoven substrate 70 is thenair dried. In one aspect, a template or mask can be placed over thenonwoven substrate 70 prior to spraying to allow the spray to producethe zones of a desired chemistry.

The PEG component 73, activated carbon component 74 and the silvercomponent 72 can be applied to the same side of the nonwoven substrate70; or, the PEG component 73 and activated carbon component 74 can beapplied to one side of the nonwoven substrate 70, with the silvercomponent 72 applied to the other side of the nonwoven substrate 70; or,the activated carbon component 74 can be applied to one side of thenonwoven substrate 70, with the silver component 72 and the PEGcomponent 73 and applied to the other side of the nonwoven substrate 70.Each PEG component 73 and activated carbon component 74 of the nonwovensubstrate 70 can be separate from each silver component 72 of thenonwoven substrate 70; or the PEG component 73 and activated carboncomponent 74 can overlap the silver component 72. Other configurationsare possible. The PEG component 73, the activated carbon component 74and the silver component 72 can form alternating stripes (see FIG. 10)or any other shapes or patterns.

Urine Odor Reduction Kit

Human odor can be attributed to skin oils, sweat and volatile compoundsemanating from the skin surface. In turn, some of these natural bodyprocesses can be affected by heredity, environment, and daily lifestyleactivities which allow an individual to produce a characteristic odor.The biological function of body odor production relies on the threetypes of secretory glands in the human skin. Two of these are normallycalled the “sweat glands” which are the eccrine and apocrine glands,with the third being the sebaceous glands. The aqueous portion of skinsecretions originates mostly from the eccrine sweat glands which consistof entirely water along with dilute salts. The sebaceous glands areclosely related with hair follicles and continuously secrete oils, orsebum. Sebaceous glands are found throughout the body, but have a higherconcentration in the face and scalp. The apocrine gland is locatedprimarily in the axillary and genital regions.

Characteristic human axillary odors consist of aldehydes (e.g. decanal,nonanal and nonenal), C6 to C11 normal, branched and unsaturatedaliphatic acids, alcohol, carbonyls and some steroids as majorcontributors to body odor malodor. A cleaning composition of the presentdisclosure may be used to eliminate or reduce human axillary odors.

The cleaning composition is made with an aqueous carrier, and a PEGsurfactant such as CETIOL HE, a preservative. A suitable fragrance, onethat does not react with actives, may be added, such as one disclosedabove. A colorant may be added for aesthetic purposes. Odor removal isenhanced with the addition of activated carbon and/or silvernanoparticles, as discussed herein.

Referring to FIG. 8, in one aspect of the disclosure is a kit thatincludes a treated personal care product such as the products describedabove (e.g. pant 100 or pad 102), and a cleaning composition. Desirably,a user will use the cleaning composition to cleanse intimate areas thatcome into contact with urine prior to donning or applying the personalcare product to the body.

The cleaning composition is a combination of PEG and/or PEG copolymersand water. Desirably, it is 12% wt/wt PEG and/or PEG copolymers byweight. It may further include activated carbon and/or silvernanoparticles. The composition is dilute enough to avoid reactionsbetween the non-water components that would prevent of hinder odorreduction.

The cleaning composition may be applied to the body as a wipe 106, awash 104, or with a spray 108. Thus, the cleaning composition may beincluded in the kit bottled with spray cap or non-spray cap, or it canbe applied to a wipe substrate and packaged in a water-proof material soevaporation cannot readily occur.

Wipe substrates are typically nonwoven materials, such as those used forKLEENEX wipes, manufactured by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, US.

EXAMPLES

The combination of odor-eliminating components described herein has beenfound to have a synergistic effect in eliminating odors. The combinationprovides a significantly larger odor reduction that can be achieved byeither component alone.

Example Set 1

The procedure for testing the efficacy of PEG derivatives to treat urineodors was as follows:

1. Inject 200 mg of a PEG derivative (liquid or solid phase) into aclean vial (flat bottom headspace crimp top glass vials, 20 ml 25×75 mm,available from Agilent Technologies, Inc., CO, US)

2. If the PEG derivative is in a solid phase, heat vial with the solidPEG derivative to a temperature of 70° C. for 1 hour. This will causethe PEG to transform to a liquid phase. Cool the now liquefied PEGderivative for 3 hours so that it reaches ambient temperature.

3. Cap the vial containing the liquefied PEG derivative.

4. Inject the vial with 1 microliter of isovaleraldehyde using amicrosyringe.

5. Incubate the vial at 40° C. for 10 min in an oven (Agilent G1888Headspace Sampler). Refer to the headspace parameters of TABLE 1, forthe oven settings.

6. Remove an aliquot of the headspace (air inside the test tube) andinject it into a gas chromatograph (e.g. Agilent 7890A, available fromAgilent Technologies, Inc.). Refer to the gas chromatograph parametersof TABLE 1, for the gas chromatograph settings.

TABLE 1 Headspace Parameters Zone temperatures Oven 40 (° C.) Event Time(min.) Gas Chromatograph cycle 10.0 time Equilibration Time 10.0 Injecttime 0.30 GC Paramenters Oven Oven temperature (° C.) 70 Column usedDB-624 Run Time (min.) 10 Detector (FID) Inlet temp (° C.) 105 Detecttemp (° C.) 250 *Column DB-624: 30 m, 0.32 mm Inner Diameter (ID), 1.8μfilm. Catalog No. 123- 1334, s/n 157858 manufactured by J&W Scientific,Inc. Folsom, CA.

7. An empty standard test tube, the control, is tested to define 0% odorremoval.

8. A test tube containing a sample is then tested by removing an aliquotof headspace and injecting it into the gas chromatograph. The peak areafor the particular odorous gas obtained from the sample is compared tothe peak area from the control. Comparison of the results are presentedas “% odor reduction” in TABLE 2.

TABLE 2 ODOR PEG REDUCTION % (n) Code Name avg std dev std. err Control(Blank) 5 PEG 200 83.8 3.5 2.0 7.5 PEG 300 84.6 3.3 1.9 10 PEG 400 83.03.4 2.0 25 PEG 1000 55.1 9.5 5.5 40 PEG 2000 14.7 17.9 10.3 80 PEG 400015.8 17.1 9.9 40 PEG 40 stearate (~PEG 2000) 42.7 11.6 6.7 100 PEG 100stearate (~PEG 5000) 36.0 13.4 7.7 4 BRIJ 30 89.3 2.2 1.3 7 CETIOL HE86.7 2.4 1.4 9.5 TRITON X-100 83.2 2.9 1.7 20 TWEEN 20 83.5 3.5 2.0 20TWEEN 60 65.1 7.5 4.3 0 Distilled water 36.7 12.8 7.4

The results from TABLE 2 are shown in the chart of FIG. 6. The PEG orPEG copolymers having an n<=20 performed best to reduce urine odors.

Example Set 2

POISE incontinence pads available from Kimberly-Clark Corp. of Dallas,Tex. USA with the label “Moderate Absorbency” were purchased from alocal store for a urine odor ranking panel (ORP) study. The surge layer(BCW) was removed from each pad to make space to accommodate 0.9 osy BCWfabrics treated with the compositions of the disclosure. Three pieces ofBCW were inserted into the pads where the original layer was removed.For the control codes three layers of untreated BCW were placed into thepads. For the treated codes each “treatment” was applied to separate BCWlayers and inserted into the pads as described in TABLE 3. For pads witheither one or two treatments, untreated BCW layers were also insertedinto the pads in order to ensure each pad had three BCW layers. Afterinserting the BCW layers, the top liner was pulled back into place andone staple was applied at the middle edge of the pad to hold thecontents in place.

Human urine was collected, pooled, filter sterilized, and theninoculated with bacteria (Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pnuemonae, E.faecalis, and E. coli). A fixed amount of urine (78 ml) was placed oneach pad and the pad was incubated at 37° C. for four hours. Tenpanelists were then exposed to each of the seven codes and asked to rankthem for overall odor. The urine odor intensity ranking results areshown in TABLE 3, in which the controls were the pad insulted with urineand the pad insulted with water. Codes with rankings above the urinecontrol were judged to produce fewer odors. The CETIOL HE sample rankedfirst.

TABLE 3 BCW Add-on level Sample ID (% wt/wt) Urine Odor IntensityRanking Control - Urine na 2.9 Control - Water na 6.2 PEG 300 14 3.2Cetiol 1414 14 2.5 Cetiol HE 14 4.3

Without being bound by theory, there are three possible mechanisms bywhich the PEG component of the composition reduce aldehydes. In onetheory, it is thought that hydrogen bonding to the aldehyde may beinduced by the —OH group of the PEG surfactant. To verify this effect,odor efficacy was evaluated using gas chromatography. The followingchemicals were tested: five types of PEG surfactants, (CETIOL HE, TRITONX-100™, TWEEN 20, TWEEN 60 and BRIJ 30 (see Table 2)); 1 ionicsurfactant (Sodium laureth sulfate, SLS); and Glycerol. (Glycerol is notused as a surfactant, but was tested because it can induce hydrogenbonding with aldehydes.) To simulate urine odor reduction, ethylmercaptan and isovaleraldehyde were selected as the representative odorof sulfur compounds and aldehydes. 2 μL of each odorant and 100 μL ofeach chemical were injected into a 25 mL gas chromatograph test tube andcapped for testing. The odor reduction efficacy is listed in FIG. 7A. Asexpected, the PEG surfactants demonstrated better aldehyde reductionthan the ionic surfactant, SLS. It is thought that the differencebetween the PEG surfactant and SLS may be caused by the hydrogenbonding.

In yet another theory, exploration is based on the fact that surfactantsdenaturize protein. Treatment with a surfactant can lead to proteindenaturation in the form of protein dissociation, precipitation, andfragmentation. This denaturation may influence a broad spectrum ofproteins and enzymes. By denaturation of proteins, one can expect areduction of the odor formation, which is mainly caused by bacteria andenzymes. See FIG. 7B

In another theory, the exploration is based on the fact that surfactantsmodify surface tension and suppress evaporation of water or othervolatiles. Referring to FIG. 7C, glycerol demonstrates lower efficacythan PEG surfactants in aldehyde reduction. Considering the fact thatglycerol also can interact with aldehyde by hydrogen bonding, thedifference between glycerol and PEG surfactants may be due to thesurface property that the surfactant changed. In the reduction of ethylmercaptan, all surfactants including SLS showed better reduction thanglycerol, which may be explained as the suppression of evaporation bysurfactants.

Experimental Set 3

POISE incontinence pads available from Kimberly-Clark Corp. of Dallas,Tex. USA with the label “Moderate Absorbency” were purchased from alocal store for a urine odor ranking panel (ORP) study. The surge layer(BCW) was removed from each pad to make space to accommodate 0.9 osy BCWfabrics treated with the compositions of the disclosure. Three pieces ofBCW were inserted into the pads where the original layer was removed;separate BCW layers were inserted into the pads as described in TABLE 4.For Code 1, three layers of urine treated BCW were placed into the pads(see urine description in Experimental Set 2). For Code 2, three layersof untreated BCW were placed into the pads. For Code 3, one layer ofCETIOL HE treated BCW was placed over two untreated layers of BCW. ForCode 4, one layer of AC ink treated BCW was placed over a SILVAGARDtreated layer and an untreated layer of BCW. For Code 5, one layer of ACink treated BCW was placed over a SILVAGARD treated layer and a CETIOLHE layer of BCW. For Code 6, one layer of AC ink treated BCW was placedover a CETIOL HE layer and an untreated layer of BCW. After insertingthe BCW layers into the pad, the top liner was pulled back into placeand one staple was applied at the middle edge of the pad to hold thecontents in place.

In the PEG treated layer, CETIOL HE was diluted with distilled water tomake a 25% solution and applied to the BCW at an add-on rate of 14%wt/wt (after air-drying) using a PREVAL Spray gun (Coal City, Ill.) andair dried.

In the silver treated layer, silver was applied to the BCW by soaking itin a liquid formulation containing SILVAGARD silver nanoparticles andheptane, followed by air drying. The dried BCW contained silvernanoparticles attached to the BCW fibers.

In the activated carbon treated layer, activated carbon was applied tothe BCW by spraying it with an activated carbon ink. The ink is appliedusing a grill grate as a mask to form stripes on the BCW. Thezone-sprayed BCW was then air dried.

TABLE 4 shows the addition of CETIOL HE to other malodor reducingtechnologies, such as activated carbon ink by itself or activated carbonink with SILVAGARD, results in boosting the urine odor intensityreduction as scored by the panelists. The code with active carbon,silver nanoparticles and CETIOL HE performed best.

TABLE 4 Sample Layers Urine odor (Listed top (body-facing) to Active BCWadd-on intensity Code bottom (garment-facing)) % wt/wt ranking 1Control - Three urine- Na 2.2 treated 2 Control - Three water- Na 7.0treated 3 CETIOL HE + +14 3.2 two untreated 4 AC ink + SILVAGARD + 8.3solids (= 2.4 carbon) 4.1 one untreated 1.1 silver 5 AC Ink +SILVAGARD + 8.3 solids (= 2.4 carbon) 4.7 CETIOL HE 1.1 silver + 14 6 ACink + CETIOL HE + 8.3 solids (= 3.0 one untreated 2.4 carbon) + 14

The combination of odor-eliminating components has been found to have asynergistic effect in eliminating odors. The combination provides asignificantly larger odor reduction that can be achieved by eithercomponent alone, even at higher concentrations. If other forms of silver(e.g., silver/zeolite) or even other forms of silver nanoparticles(e.g., silver nanoparticle dispersion stabilized by a binder) are used,the synergistic effect is largely absent.

Experimental Set 4

Described is a semi-quantitative analytical method for the determinationof the headspace concentration of gases in closed containers using aDRÄGER tube (Dräger Safety Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.).

This method is an in vitro method effective for screening and evaluatingfull products, usually prior to confirmation with the other quantitativeanalytical methods or odor ranking panel human perception studies.Though the gas chromatograph headspace method, described herein, givesquantitative results, it cannot be used to test full products because ithas a limited sample holder capacity of only 20 cc, not enough for afull product.

DRÄGER tubes are glass vials filled with a chemical reagent that reactsvia a color change (e.g. to blue) with a specific chemical or family ofchemicals. DRÄGER tube detection-limits are typically above the humanthreshold, and tube types, i.e. the number of chemicals that can bedetected are limited. Detection and accuracy is dependent on thechemical type. A known volume of gaseous sample (1000 cc headspace airper stroke) is drawn through the tube using the DRÄGER ACCURO bellowspump. If the targeted chemical(s) is present in the tested environmentthe tube changes color. The extent of the color change indicates themeasured concentration in the headspace, typically in parts per million(ppm).

In this test, 1 inch by 7 inch (1″×7″) strips of BCW were spray coated(PREVAL spray gun) with undiluted CETIOL HE. The strips were placed inthe jars, as described above. The control jars either had no sample inthem or 1″×7″ strips of untreated BCW. 40 μl of acetaldehyde(Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co., Milwaukee Wis.) was injected into the jarvia a septum in the lid of the jar. The jars were allowed to stand for40 minutes, at ambient temperature, before measurement of the headspaceconcentration using acetaldehyde DRÄGER tubes. These tests wereconducted in duplicate.

The results of the DRÄGER tube tests are shown in TABLE 5. The treatedBCW demonstrates a 50% reduction of acetaldehyde versus the control.This shows that the CETIOL HE urine odor reduction technology reducesthe urine malodor by removing the aldehydes.

TABLE 5 Acetaldehyde (40 μL) Sample (Ppm) Control Empty jar 100Control - BCW untreated 100 CETIOL HE treated BCW (14% wt/wt) 50

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates only tocertain disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure and thatnumerous modifications or alterations may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth inthe appended claims.

1.-15. (canceled)
 16. A personal care product comprising a firstaldehyde odor control layer that comprises an odor control compositioncomprising a polyethylene glycol surfactant selected from the groupconsisting of laureth-4, polysorbate 20, myreth-3 myristate,octoxynol-9, polyethylene glycol-7 glyceryl cocoate, and any combinationthereof; wherein the personal care product includes a liner and anabsorbent core; wherein the first aldehyde odor control layer is locatedbetween the liner and the absorbent core; and wherein the polyethyleneglycol surfactant comprises 25% to 40% of the odor control composition.17. The personal care product of claim 16 wherein the polyethyleneglycol surfactant has a number of polymer units less than or equal to20.
 18. The composition of claim 16 wherein the polyethylene glycolsurfactant has a number of polymer units less than or equal to
 10. 19.The personal care product of claim 16 wherein the polyethylene glycolsurfactant has a number of polymer units less than or equal to
 5. 20.The personal care product of claim 16 wherein the odor controlcomposition comprises 60% to 90% water.
 21. The personal care product ofclaim 16 wherein the odor control composition further comprises at leastone of a thickener, a preservative, and a fragrance.
 22. The personalcare product of claim 16 wherein the odor control composition is appliedto the first aldehyde odor control layer at an add-on level of 0.5% to50%.
 23. The personal care product of claim 16 wherein the odor controlcomposition is applied to the first aldehyde odor control layer at anadd-on level of 1.0% to 40%.
 24. The personal care product of claim 16wherein the odor control composition is applied to a surface of asubstrate, and the odor control composition continuously covers thesurface of the substrate.
 25. The personal care product of claim 16wherein the personal care product is in a form selected from the groupconsisting of diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, adultincontinence products, and feminine hygiene products.
 26. A personalcare product comprising a first aldehyde odor control layer thatcomprises an odor control composition comprising a polyethylene glycolsurfactant selected from the group consisting of laureth-4, polysorbate20, myreth-3 myristate, octoxynol-9, polyethylene glycol-7 glycerylcocoate, and any combination thereof; wherein the personal care productincludes a liner and an absorbent core; wherein the first aldehyde odorcontrol layer is located between the liner and the absorbent core; andwherein the odor control composition is applied to a surface of asubstrate, and the odor control composition continuously covers thesurface of the substrate.
 27. The personal care product of claim 26wherein the polyethylene glycol surfactant has a number of polymer unitsless than or equal to
 20. 28. The composition of claim 26 wherein thepolyethylene glycol surfactant has a number of polymer units less thanor equal to
 10. 29. The personal care product of claim 26 wherein thepolyethylene glycol surfactant has a number of polymer units less thanor equal to
 5. 30. The personal care product of claim 26 wherein theodor control composition comprises 60% to 90% water.
 31. The personalcare product of claim 26 wherein the odor control composition furthercomprises at least one of a thickener, a preservative, and a fragrance.32. The personal care product of claim 26 wherein the odor controlcomposition is applied to the first aldehyde odor control layer at anadd-on level of 0.5% to 50%.
 33. The personal care product of claim 26wherein the odor control composition is applied to the first aldehydeodor control layer at an add-on level of 1.0% to 40%.
 34. The personalcare product of claim 26 wherein the wherein the polyethylene glycolsurfactant comprises 25% to 40% of the odor control composition.
 35. Thepersonal care product of claim 26 wherein the personal care product isin a form selected from the group consisting of diapers, training pants,absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, and feminine hygieneproducts.